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The Amalfi Coast and Rome

When we arrived in Rome, we bid adieu to Jennifer and Fredrik and for the first time in two weeks we were completely on our own – just the two of us! We rented a car and set out for the Amalfi Coast, 2-3 hours south of Rome on the Bay of Naples.

Unfortunately, this honeymoon did not get off to an auspicious start. We arrived in the vicinity of Naples around midnight in the midst of a major thunderstorm. This was the first time we had any bad weather our entire trip – but boy was it a doozy!

Our original destination was the town of Amalfi, on the southern side of the peninsula, where we had hotel reservations. To get there, we had to traverse a teeny-tiny narrow mountain road. Driving that road with its hairpin turns would have been scary enough during the daytime in fair weather, but in the middle of the night in the storm we were experiencing – it was downright terrifying. The torrential rains caused water to gush down the mountainside and swamped both the road and our tiny, underpowered Fiat Punto. Lightning flashed and strikes appeared all around us on the mountain. There were only one or two other cars on the road but we were thankful to have the company.

We proceeded as slowly and cautiously as we could, hoping the storm would let up, but it only seemed to get worse. Suddenly, we came upon a mudslide blocking our road -- the mountainside in front of us started to give way and large amount of mud and rock slid onto the road. Shar's mind was made up to hightail it back down the mountain when, as we sat contemplating whether to turn back or wait out the worst of the storm, he saw a lightning bolt strike a tree less than two hundred yards away, and the tree burst into flames before being quickly doused by the rain. Taking this as one of many signs (a burning bush, no less!) that we should go no further, we carefully turned around and headed back down the pass until we finally came to civilization, a small village at the foot of the mountain, and stopped at the first hotel to get a room for the night.

September 29, 2003
The storm had completely passed by morning and the day was bright and beautiful. However, the mountain pass was still blocked, and the other route to Amalfi was longer and there were no guarantees about those road conditions either. We took this as a sign and decided that we would remain on the north side of the peninsula and use Sorrento as a home base. While we never actually made it to the town of Amalfi, it was a decision we would not regret as Sorrento and the surrounding area turned out to be an idyllic respite.

We found a hotel in Sorrento clinging to the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples with astonishing views of the volcano Mount Vesuvius. We explored the town a bit and (a bit spooked at driving in the area) took a bus ride along the scenic Amalfi coast to the village resort of Positano. There, we watched the sunset from a bar overlooking the beach (where it rained again) and later headed back to Sorrento to dine at the very elegant little restaurant whose service was delightful and the food exemplary.

September 30, 2003
Not yet finished with water voyages, we took a ferry to the island of Capri and rented a motorboat to circumnavigate the tiny island and visit several underwater caves. This was a fun way to explore the island and something we would highly recommend doing if you ever go there! We then took a bus to Anacapri, where we rode a chairlift up to the highest point on the island, Monte Solaro. After taking in the 360 degree views and feeling on top of the world, we hiked back down through vineyards, past funky sculptured gardens and elegant villas before making a mad dash to catch the last ferry back to Sorrento.

That night after partaking in the traditional 'passegiata' (where the main road is closed off and Italians come out for an evening stroll) we dined at Ristorante Zi'ntonio, a fun and lively family-run restaurant where our engaging waiter could not seem to stop cracking jokes. It was here that Kim ate her first lobster tail (can you believe it?)!

October 1, 2003
After taking several days to settle in, we regretfully left the Amalfi Coast behind and made our way back to Rome, but not before we stopped in Pompeii, the ancient city that was simultaneously destroyed and preserved by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Shar's favorite site in Pompeii was a mosaic tile picture of a dog at the entrance of a villa that had a Latin inscription Cave Canem or "Beware of Dog".

Arriving in Rome, we settled into the tiny but charming Hotel Le Petite, where our room had a columned terrace overlooking the street below. That night we dined at a nearby enoteca and planned what we would do during our stay in the "Eternal City."

While Kim had visited Rome as a child, this was Shar's first visit. Caught up by beauty of Tuscany, we never made it as far south as Rome when we visited Italy our first time together in 1999.

October 2, 2003
We saw all of the typical sights one sees in Rome. We scheduled a day of "Ancient Rome", visiting the Museum of Rome with its classical Greco-Roman art and statuary, the Forum, the Coliseum, Palatine Hill, and the Pantheon. Of course, this being Italy, a strike would naturally put a kink in our plans. We thought the Coliseum looked strangely devoid of tourists; we learned that the Coliseum guards were on strike, so we would have tack the last of 'ancient Rome' onto another day's plans if we wanted a peek inside.

October 3, 2003
This day we had designated as "Catholic & Renaissance Rome". We got an early start, taking in St. Peter's Cathedral and the Vatican before the crowds. We climbed the steps to the top of the dome, and visited the Vatican Museum, Michaelangelo's Pieta and the Sistine Chapel. While neither of us is particularly religious, it was all very dramatic and inspiring, and not once did we get that "museum feeling".

Each night we were in Rome we would stroll through the streets picking various routes suggested in our favorite guide, through Travestevere, Campo d'Fiori, Piazza Navona, and up to Via Veneto. Dinner this night was memorable -- the restaurant's motto was "you'll eat what we want to feed you". They certainly were true to their word. There were no menus, so we just waited to see what they brought to our table. The food was great, but our favorite part was the owners' love of their food and their guests – it was like eating at your grandparents', where they make sure you clean your plate and pat you on the head or rustle your hair when they walk by.

October 4, 2003
Our last full day in Italy… so we took it easy for the most part. After a relaxing breakfast, we made our way over to the park Villa Borghese (kind of Rome's Central Park) and to the Borghese Gallery, hands-down our favorite museum of the entire trip, and the best place we visited in Rome. Bernini's sculptures Apollo and Daphne and the Rape of Prosperina are truly masterpieces, and the museum setting itself is a work of art. Making our way back through Via Veneto, we visited the truly macabre Capuccin Crypt, where the Church arranged the bones and skulls of thousands of monks into decorative patterns and formed them into chandeliers, sconces, and other bizarre installations.

On our way back to our hotel near the Piazza De Repubblica, we came across another traditional Italian pastime –- a colorful political rally and march. We could never quite figure out what the demonstration was about, but it made us a little homesick for Berkeley all the same!

Our last evening in Rome we intended a romantic walk to see the last few sights 'on the list' – the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. We started with drinks on Piazza Navona, and proceeded to dinner at a nearby enoteca outdoors. However, during dinner, the last rainstorm of our trip struck, dropping torrential buckets of rain on the city. With the benefit of a patio umbrella, we managed to finish dinner and dashed to the Pantheon to discover firsthand why they call it "Rome's Umbrella." A throng of people, including us, huddled under the wide portico to wait out the rain. Luckily this storm past quickly enough, allowing us to proceed on to the Steps and the Fountain as planned.

It would have been nice to say that our last night was the ultimate capper to a sublime trip. Unfortunately, instead of ending with a glorious bang, it was a bit more of a whimper. Men aggressively trying to sell flowers or take our pictures for a fee marred our time at both Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. We both had sore feet from long days of walking and sore throats from colds that were beginning to catch up with us. But before returning to the comfort of our hotel, we did manage to throw our coins into the fountain to ensure our eventual return to this beautiful country, this Bella Italy. The next morning we caught the train to the airport and, after an incredible three weeks, were on our way home.

Epilogue
Our wedding and honeymoon were everything we hoped for and more. It was intimate, moving, fun, nerve-wracking, passionate, adventurous, breathtaking, relaxing, exhilarating, and filled with moments we will cherish for a lifetime. We again extend our deepest gratitude to those who shared this event with us and send our love to all of you we are truly blessed to have as family and hold in friendship.

Ciao, Shar and Kim

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